The Connection Between Music and Social Violence

Introduction 

Globally, the exposure to violence is surging immensely at alarming levels. The exposure to violence impacts the young generation more compared to the old generation. Violence is virtually everywhere from families, politics, media, and schools. The words that people use in their daily lives could make us behave in a particular manner. Violence is portrayed both in the music lyrics we sing or rap or language we speak. Violence is depicted in music from several artists. Rap, metal rock, hip-hop, and gangster rap are the type of music genres that frequently uses violent lyrics and beats that portray urban life. These genres have been heavily condemned and criticized for illustrating violence, racism, crime, and misogamy in society. The lyrics in these kinds of genres usually convey messages which are violently directed to a person a group of individuals. Rap, metal rock, hip-hop, and gangster rap have triggered domestic violence amongst the audience that prefers this type of music genre. For instance, Rap, hip-hop and gangster rap is always associated with African Americans, and most African people are viewed as violent because of the music genre they prefer listening. This paper will depict how violence is a social issue that is influenced by the type of music that people listen. Rap, metal rock, hip-hop, and gangster rock culture is influencing individuals globally both negatively and positively. Nevertheless, this paper will highlight the social problem associated with rap music and how it has influenced upsurge in violence in society. 

How Violence in Music Affect Adults 

According to Weininger, Lareau, & Lizardo, (2018) men or young adults who are exposed to hip-hop genre that has a high content of sexual abuse are more likely to objectify the ladies who are in their lives since they believe in the myths of rape than those men who are exposed to hip-hop that has, less or no sexual abuse contents. These types of behaviors can be grouped as aggressive and concerning. This conclusion supports the thesis statement that music causes an upsurge in violence. According to Weininger, Lareau, & Lizardo, (2018) the men who watch or listen to lyrics that have sexual violence tend to find violence as normal, and they end up adopting these ideas and act as per what they have been exposed to. Also, Cloonan & Johnson (2017) observed that people who are exposed to violent music for the first time would change their behavior immediately upon watching or listening to songs that praise violence. This immediate change in behavior could be attributed to the content of the music. Because the music video is the only stimuli, change in the behavior of a person is accounted for by the content a person is watching. Hill & Savigny (2019) depict that student tends to be more hostile and aggressive when exposed to some form of violent music. 

Today, many songs praised substances such as marijuana, heroin, and cocaine; they do not condemn their use, and people who listen to this type of music tend to see no harm in consuming hard substances. According to Weininger, Lareau, & Lizardo, (2018) violence is mostly associated with drug abuse. Most people who abuse drugs tend to uphold violence since their judgment is impaired by the drugs a person has consumed. Therefore, it is evident that violence is directly associated with drug abuse and music which praise the use drug abuse indirectly influence violence. According to Hill & Savigny, (2019) any music which propagates negative behaviors and violence seems to result in the listener acting in a manner which is negative and they have an increased tendency to commit aggressive behaviors. Consequently, it is evident that some music influences violence and other aggressive behaviors. 

How Violence in Music Affect Teenagers 

Teenagers equally have been affected by violence portrayed in music. According to Cloonan, & Johnson, (2017), American teens spend more time listening to music than listening to their parents. The average American teens spend more time alone listening to music with less supervision from the parents. Since many young people are exposed to music that depicts violence in their formative teen years, their assumptions and attitudes are impacted, and their behavior and decision about life start to change either instantly or progressively. Weininger, Lareau, & Lizardo, (2018) depict that average teenagers in America are exposed to fourteen thousand sexual references every year. According to Cloonan, & Johnson (2017) research conducted by Harvard University depicted that out of 518 videos that were scrutinized 76 video's depicted scenes of interpersonal violence. There were six acts of violence which were two or three minutes per segment. The video scrutinized had a total of 462 scenes that depicted kicking, punching, stabbings, and shootings. Moreover, the video analyzed depicted scenes of priming, hypodermic needles, and other antisocial behaviors ( Cloonan, & Johnson, 2017) . Also, the video that was scrutinized had scenes that supported hypo-dermic needles, substance abuse, gay-bashing, suicide, and Satanism. It is evident that the majority of the music that teenagers listen to have a message of violence. The best example of how violent music impacts you is the case of Jessica Stasinowsky, 21, and Valerie Parashumti who were lesbians. They killed a teenager (Stacey Mitchell) who stayed with them in their apartment (Dixon, 2008). The Lesbian couple found the teenager irritating, and they decided to kill her. When police searched their apartment, they found compact disks that had songs that praised violence. It is believed that when Stacey Mitchell was being killed, they played music that depicted violence to catalyze their animosity (Dixon, 2008). The murder of Stacey Mitchell highlights how music that portrays violence can influence an individual’s behavior. 

Conclusion 

Indeed, some music promotes violence and impacts the individual’s behavior. Close to seventy-five percent of concept music videos have sexually suggested content. Therefore, there is a need to control what teenagers and children watch. Children spend four to five hours a day watching or listening to music they are likely to be influenced by the message portrayed in that music. Teenagers have musicians they look up to, and they tend to copy what their idols do even though their actions are questionable. Many teenagers think the message of violence depicted in music is real and acceptable in society; they believe that their music idols are always right and all their music is good and authentic. Therefore, it is important for parents to moderate the content that their children access since they spend more time on Television compared with their parents. Even though teenagers, young adults, and kids are the ones who are greatly influenced by violence in music adults are also influenced by violent music. Music that depicts violence has some aspect of drugs and adults tend to assimilate the idea that drugs such as alcohol and marijuana as depicted in music are not bad. However, when under the influence of these drugs adults commit violence. Consequently, it is conclusive that violence does not affect one type of generation; it affects each person either directly and indirectly. Therefore, there is a need for the music industry to produce music content with songs that have positive themes about avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy prevention, sexual abstinence, nonviolence, drug avoidance, racial harmony, and positive relationships. 

References 

Dixon Cyril. (2008). 2 lesbians killed girl for a Thrill. Sunday Express. Retrieved from: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/37379/2-lesbians-killed-girl-for-a-Thrill 

Cloonan, M., & Johnson, B. (2017). Music as Violence. In  Dark Side of the Tune: Popular Music and Violence  (pp. 163-176). Routledge. 

Hill, R. L., & Savigny, H. (2019). Sexual violence and free speech in popular music. 

Weininger, E. B., Lareau, A., & Lizardo, O. (Eds.). (2018).  Ritual, Emotion, Violence: Studies on the Micro-sociology of Randall Collins . Routledge.